Extra staff help with Longboat permit surge


A beachfront house badly damaged by Hurricane Helene's storm surge.
A beachfront house badly damaged by Hurricane Helene's storm surge.
Photo by Carter Weinhofer
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After Hurricanes Helene and Milton, Longboat Key’s Planning, Zoning and Building Department encountered a surge of permit applications as residents began the rebuilding process. 

Now, thanks to supplemental staffing from the Florida Division of Emergency Management, the town’s PZB staff could take a backlog of 700 permits down to 170. 

The town’s initial damage estimate showed damage to about 2,300 properties, which was estimated to be around $190 million. After further assessments, about 66 properties were identified to be damaged by more than 50%, with 100 between 40-50% damaged. 

This amount of damage led to numerous permits. 

According to Director of Planning, Zoning and Building Allen Parsons, the town’s permit activity increased by 50% from this time last year (October to January). About 75% of that increased permit activity is storm-related. 

“We’re still getting other permitting activity, but clearly permitting is heavily oriented toward repair and rebuilding,” Parsons said at the commission's Jan. 6 meeting. “We have had a definite surge of permitting activity.”

To help, the Florida Division of Emergency Management sent additional staff like permit technicians, building inspectors and claims adjusters on a six-month program to help the Longboat Key department. 

“We’ve been fortunate to have supplemental help, which will time out on us after six months, but we are working on getting contract staffing that we anticipate being around and helping us probably for the year, perhaps 18 months,” Parsons said.

The challenge, though, is to find properly licensed workers in the industry. Parsons compared getting a plans examiner to finding a unicorn. 

Still, with the help the department already has, the team worked through weekends and holidays to turn a backlog of 700 permits to 170 as of Jan. 6. 

Additionally, the town extended allowable construction hours and temporarily waived storm-related building permit fees to help residents rebuild as quickly as possible. 

“We’re doing as many things as we can to try to streamline our processes where possible,” Parsons said.

Another example is the town’s recent decision to eliminate the need for a permit to replace drywall in single-family homes. The permit is still required in multi-family structures, like condominiums or hotels, because of the complexity of plumbing and electrical systems, plus additional requirements from the Florida Building Code. 

Parsons expects the permits will keep flowing, and he encouraged all applicants to ensure the permits are fully completed before submitting to ensure the permits are processed as quickly as possible. 

For more information or to reach the Planning, Zoning and Building Department, call 941-316-1966 or visit the department at 501 Bay Isles Rd. 

 

author

Carter Weinhofer

Carter Weinhofer is the Longboat Key news reporter for the Observer. Originally from a small town in Pennsylvania, he moved to St. Petersburg to attend Eckerd College until graduating in 2023. During his entire undergraduate career, he worked at the student newspaper, The Current, holding positions from science reporter to editor-in-chief.

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